It's not the end of the world if we signed nobody else this summer

[Tom Cato]

True. I think Lingard will be pretty much a nailed on starter which is enough to worry me about the quality of football.

Lingard had a really good game against Milan. And probably Blackburn since he scored twice. Perhaps he's hitting form?

 

[RussellWilson]

I'd be surprised if the current squad got top 4. We have Lingard and Mata at 10 and the corpse of Matic in Midfield. That's not close to being good enough.

And those thinking the likes of Gomes will be blooded instead of these first team players are living in dreamland. Ole hasn't even started Gomes in friendlies ahead of them let alone competitive matches.

 

[kouroux]

Lingard had a really good game against Milan. And probably Blackburn since he scored twice. Perhaps he's hitting form?

This is preseason, don't be fooled. Lingard is and will always stay the same.

 

[UpWithRivers]

Its not the end of the world - IF we get 3/4th. But if we come 5/6/7 etc it is. I think we should be ok. Id rather stay as we are than make last minute panic buys. Its not only about the quality of players its about how well the system works and how consistent we are. Id be happier if we have a happy camp. Players putting in consistent performances and a bad game here or there.

 

[RedStarUnited]

We probably won't, but I think that expectation will only help us this season. Pressure off, get some pride back in the club and look to the next available opportunities to strengthen the team. I trust in the long term project. I hope I am not eating my words, but I am either optimistic and look to the future, or I am stuck in the now and the hangover of last season and I wallow and don't enjoy my club. Not an option.

How do we get pride back by finishing outside of fourth? And who is this pride coming from, us as fans?

 

[kouroux]

100% correct Op, it's not the end of the world. Far from it.
But it's definitely the end of our title challenge before it begins!

Title challenge ? You hoped for a title challenge ?

 

[CM]

Midfield is a sticking point and right wing is still a bit of a concern. It's a bit of a weird window - nobody around us has done amazing business either but in some ways it feels like more of a missed opportunity. Given the level of investment that's gone into the defence, it seems strange that we've let obvious issues like the midfield and right wing fester and remain unresolved.

 

[dove]

Really? If we don’t sign anyone I think we are 1 injury away from having worse season than Moyes.

 

[romufc]

Title challenge ? You hoped for a title challenge ?

We are Manutd, you have to hope for a title challenge. If we got a solid CM and Attacker, there is no reason we cannot mount a title challenge.

 

[dove]

We are Manutd, you have to hope for a title challenge. If we got a solid CM and Attacker, there is no reason we cannot mount a title challenge.

There are lots of reasons.

 

[amit tal]

if we dont sign anyone i will put my mony for 6-8. chelsea and arsenal will be better than united

 

[kouroux]

We are Manutd, you have to hope for a title challenge. If we got a solid CM and Attacker, there is no reason we cannot mount a title challenge.

I love the optimism but this is bordering on delusion

 

[romufc]

I love the optimism but this is bordering on delusion

Optimistic, but know in the back of my head by end of August, top 4 will be priority. I was alot more optimistic before the Milan game where we looked good. But the Milan game must have brought everyone back down to where we are. Very average performance. Got out played by Milan shows the level we are at.

 

[kouroux]

Optimistic, but know in the back of my head by end of August, top 4 will be priority. I was alot more optimistic before the Milan game where we looked good. But the Milan game must have brought everyone back down to where we are. Very average performance. Got out played by Milan shows the level we are at.

I haven't watched a single preseason game fully, only highlights because preseason is just for fitness tbh. When the first football game starts, real nervousness starts and players who were comfortable during easy friendlies show us who they really are.

 

[Ikon]

If Lukaku leaves then we need a striker to replace him.

Other than that we need minimum of 1 CM to replace Herrera/Fellaini. If we do not manage to get those signings done then we are in for a difficult season

I'm pretty sure that we will bring in Mandzukic to replace Lukaku, and it wouldn't be the worst stop gap in the World.
A bit like the Ibrahimovic deal, we know its only a temporary solution until we can do something more longer term next summer. I won't throw my toys out of the pram about this one.

But for me, the neglect in Midfield borders on criminal.
Solskjaer has been saying for months that he wanted 2 senior MFs to replace Herrera & Fellaini, its clear to see that Matic is well past his best and needs replacing, and the likes of Fred & Pereira have hardly set the World alight.

But we are now saying we had no interest in Bruno Fernandes, and that he isn't on Ole's list.
Well who is on Ole's MF list, because other than Bruno, I'm stumped, we don't appear to have any credible links to anyone at all.
Was Rabiot our prime target? Was there no alternative when we failed to get him?

Surely if Solskjaer wanted 2 MFs then his list should have had 4 or 5 names on it, but I really have absolutely no idea who they were, as we don't appear to have made and serious efforts to sign anyone...

 

[red4ever 79]

I'm pretty sure that we will bring in Mandzukic to replace Lukaku, and it wouldn't be the worst stop gap in the World.
A bit like the Ibrahimovic deal, we know its only a temporary solution until we can do something more longer term next summer. I won't throw my toys out of the pram about this one.

But for me, the neglect in Midfield borders on criminal.
Solskjaer has been saying for months that he wanted 2 senior MFs to replace Herrera & Fellaini, its clear to see that Matic is well past his best and needs replacing, and the likes of Fred & Pereira have hardly set the World alight.

But we are now saying we had no interest in Bruno Fernandes, and that he isn't on Ole's list.
Well who is on Ole's MF list, because other than Bruno, I'm stumped, we don't appear to have any credible links to anyone at all.
Was Rabiot our prime target? Was there no alternative when we failed to get him?

Surely if Solskjaer wanted 2 MFs then his list should have had 4 or 5 names on it, but I really have absolutely no idea who they were, as we don't appear to have made and serious efforts to sign anyone...

You can only assume Ole gave Ed a list of targets and the board havent backed him. Like you said, it is criminal not to upgrade in midfield.

 

[buckooo1978]

Lingard had a really good game against Milan. And probably Blackburn since he scored twice. Perhaps he's hitting form?

it was a good 45 against Milan after a very forgettable set of pre-season performances

you know what you are going to get with Lingard now.... lots of running, sporadic quality, no consistency

his development is over....this is peak Lingard I feel

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Good OP.

It's definitely not the end of the world if we end up with just two signings but at the end of the day of Ole does the following, it'll make us fans extremely happy.

• Develop and promote our youth talents
• Develop and improve the players we already have.
• Have us playing like a proper team with a proper and settled system
• Get us playing cohesive attacking football consistently with progressive tactics that the team are in sync with
• Finish 3/4th in the PL

Of course much of the above will depend on how good a coach Ole really is. And at the end of the day that's what it comes down to. If we show the development as a football team that Pochettino and Klopp brought to their teams, that'll be the foundation we need.

 

[Bosws87]

It’s not the end of the world, that’s true.

It’s not highly unlikely that we could be sat on 0 points after 2 games (Chelsea and wolves away hardly guarantees) you can already see what the atmosphere of the club’s going to be if this situation happens.

If it’s one thing we need is a positive start.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

We lost two CMs and replaced them with no one. If that isn’t a cause for concern, then I don’t know what is. Only midfielder our club is interested in is Longstaff which is so infuriating. We already have Mctominay who is already better than him.

It is definitely a concerned. If anything we've lost our best CM in Herrera given Pogba usually doesn't do much of the midfield dirty work. However it's not the end of the world and that's what the OP is getting at. Ole if he's good enough can still make progress this season.

 

[VeevaVee]

People want something different. If we don't change enough then it's not going to be.

It's not the end of the world, but it'll potentially be another season that we want to erase from our memory, instead of enjoying ourselves. Another wasted one. Not to mention that the longer we go without sorting our team properly the less attractive we get, and the more problems there are to sort out next time, so it just never gets sorted.

 

[ZupZup]

Completely agree with this OP... so much impatience but it will take time to build a top side. Anyone thinking we just do it all this summer have played too much Football Manager... it's naive. Realistically, I think about two more transfer windows at a minimum along with giving our younger players a fair bit of game time this season.

Look at what Klopp has done at Liverpool... it took time to create the side that could challenge last season. First season they signed Mane and Wijnaldum. Second season they bought Salah and Robertson... the following January it was Van Dijk. It's a case of gradually piecing the puzzle together.

Can you imagine the meltdown on here if it was 1995 and Ferguson had just sold Hughes, Ince and Kanchelskis without replacing them? We then go on and get beat 3-1 against Villa in the first match. I'm not saying we are going to win or even challenge for the league this season... but I don't personally feel the doom and gloom and I feel like the club is going in the right direction with the current transfer policy and faith in youth.

 

[settembrini]

I am more concerned that we have done so little to remove deadwood than the fact we might 'only' make three signings.

 

[romufc]

Completely agree with this OP... so much impatience but it will take time to build a top side. Anyone thinking we just do it all this summer have played too much Football Manager... it's naive. Realistically, I think about two more transfer windows at a minimum along with giving our younger players a fair bit of game time this season.

Look at what Klopp has done at Liverpool... it took time to create the side that could challenge last season. First season they signed Mane and Wijnaldum. Second season they bought Salah and Robertson... the following January it was Van Dijk. It's a case of gradually piecing the puzzle together.

Can you imagine the meltdown on here if it was 1995 and Ferguson had just sold Hughes, Ince and Kanchelskis without replacing them? We then go on and get beat 3-1 against Villa in the first match. I'm not saying we are going to win or even challenge for the league this season... but I don't personally feel the doom and gloom and I feel like the club is going in the right direction with the current transfer policy and faith in youth.

I think the difference is that under Klopp there was an improvement season on season. We go from top 4 to 6 back to top 4 to 2nd to 6th.
If Ole is playing same football as end of last season at Christmas, how can you justify giving him more time ? He would have been in the job for a year.
If Ole is playing good football and we finish top 4, then I am sure he will be backed against next summer with higher profile signings.

 

[soralapio]

If we do strengthen further, bonus...but I completely trust in this apparent change in approach to transfers.

I think you're mixing apples and oranges here. Yes, it's good that United were smart enough to pull out of the Dybala deal after it became obvious he didn't really fancy coming to United, and would have been extraordinarily expensive. I am also all for giving the kids a chance, and truly hope Ole will actually do so. I am also excited about Maguire, Wan-Bissaka and James and think all three will be extremely useful players for United.

All that being said... this summer has been a disaster and once again shows that United desperately need a strong DoF with the authority to handle the footballing side. To me the ultimate condemnation of the Ed Woodward way of doing business was the report coming out last night that United are "looking at candidates" for midfield players. It's not the beginning of June anymore, for Christ's sake! The window slams shut in a couple of days, and they are "looking at candidates"? Never mind Ole's public desire to have his squad ready at the start of pre-season, which Ed already bollocksed up, they are "looking at candidates" and considering options a few days before the season starts? It's absolute lunacy!

The world is not ending, but going into the season with this squad and with hopes of making the top 4 means Ole's time at United might be ending, and through no fault of his own.

 

[Castia]

Do you really think this is how it works? One deal at the time type of thing? Well it doesn't.
The club signed Maguire at the same time, and I’m sure they where talking to several others. It’s called initial talks, and the club have many people who can do so. You have seen the market this summer, and it’s not just like going to tesco. I think the club has done right making a strategy of signings (hungry players who want to play for the club) How much money spent now? 155M? And I’m sure the people who was complaining about signings like Sanchez etc are the same complaining now. Like everything in life, things take time. Like building a team.

We’ve been building a team for about 6 years and seem to take one step forward and 5 steps back.

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

Not the end of the world no, But probably the end of us being a Champions League team on a consistent basis.

 

[ZupZup]

I think the difference is that under Klopp there was an improvement season on season. We go from top 4 to 6 back to top 4 to 2nd to 6th.
If Ole is playing same football as end of last season at Christmas, how can you justify giving him more time ? He would have been in the job for a year.
If Ole is playing good football and we finish top 4, then I am sure he will be backed against next summer with higher profile signings.

Klopp was given time though. He had two transfer windows before the start of his first full season. I would give Ole time regardless of how we are at Christmas because as explained before, I believe it takes time to build a team and I have faith that we are doing things the right way now. Realistically, I think challenging for 4th is about where we are at present with this current squad of players. By the start of next season I believe we will be better.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

Not the end of the World.

But definitely the end of our hopes of seeing Champions League football at Old Trafford for the next 2 years at least

 

[Renegade]

Lingard as our starting number 10, Christ.

I wouldn’t be against Mandzukic signing for us as a different option but people liking it to Zlatan are way of the mark. Zlatan was coming in as our undisputed lead striker and match winner, coming of the back of a 30 goal season. The only similarity between Zlatan and MM is age and the duration of their stay here.

 

[mark_a]

100% correct Op, it's not the end of the world. Far from it.
But it's definitely the end of our title challenge before it begins!

This. Not that anyone neccesarily thought we'd be on for a challenge even with a signing, but realistically we've still got a top 6 squad, maybe top 4. Optimists may have thought that if we'd got a proven scoring striker it might propel us toward a solid top 4 and possible title challenge.

 

[Slysi17]

Well it is really as all of us will have to look forward to the Europa League again the following season or no european football at all as I can't see us making top four or winning the europa league with the midfield and forwards we have. Really needed to sign a quality right winger and creative midfielder and is looking unlikely now. It will be another wasted season. Pretty much our quality forward options are Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford. Another wasted season potentially which is infuriating.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

It is not a slow rebuild if we are not getting in the players the manager wants and not getting rid of the players he want rid of. It is just a team in flux. Actually it is a slower rebuild. We will have to see what happens by Thursday. If we do nothing, then the defensive signings will have their work cut out. It is the snails pace we seem to work at that is infuriating. We should have been planning this from the minute they gave Ole the job and yet we are in this situation.

 

[Slysi17]

It is not a slow rebuild if we are not getting in the players the manager wants and not getting rid of the players he want rid of. It is just a team in flux. Actually it is a slower rebuild. We will have to see what happens by Thursday. If we do nothing, then the defensive signings will have their work cut out.

My biggest gripe this window is not buying a right sided forward. Our forward options for a top four side is pathetic. All we have is Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford. The rest are kids/rookies or players not good enough like Lingard. I mean I wasn't expecting Dybala but we could of got a up and coming right sided forward. Someone like David Neres or Hirving Lozano. I am pretty sure they would of been quite eager to join. A player does not have to be British to want to join Manchester United.

 

[Treble]

It might be a blessing in disguise if the youngsters turn out to be great. That's a big IF though.

 

[Castia]

Not the end of the World.

But definitely the end of our hopes of seeing Champions League football at Old Trafford for the next 2 years at least

Yup and then that brings in all sorts of other problems not only financially.

The better players won’t stick around, Pogba is on the verge now, another season of finishing 6th and you can bet your ass he’s going awol until he gets a move, the unrest in the team after another bad season will see us go round in circles.

I’ve seen people mention a straight switch between Lukaku and Mandzukic....yeah instead of finishing 7th with Lukaku we’ll probably get 10th with Mandzukic.

Just look at the squad on paper. The defence is decent but the midfield and attack is as average as it gets, it would take a fecking miracle to come 4th with our current squad.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

My biggest gripe this window is not buying a right sided forward. Our forward options for a top four side is pathetic. All we have is Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford. The rest are kids/rookies or players not good enough like Lingard. I mean I wasn't expecting Dybala but we could of got a up and coming right sided forward. Someone like David Neres or Hirving Lozano. I am pretty sure they would of been quite eager to join. A player does not have to be British to want to join Manchester United.

Yep. Lingard can do something there, but think a lot is being put on AWB as an outlet when really he isn't. He might just find he has a lot of defending to do. Harry Maguire biggest asset is coming out with the ball, well if he is pinned back how is he going to do that? We needed someone to control that midfield and up to now we do not have it. We need to make it that we are on the attack and have other teams pinned in their box.

 

[Slysi17]

Yup and then that brings in all sorts of other problems not only financially.

The better players won’t stick around, Pogba is on the verge now, another season of finishing 6th and you can bet your ass he’s going awol until he gets a move, the unrest in the team after another bad season will see us go round in circles.

I’ve seen people mention a straight switch between Lukaku and Mandzukic....yeah instead of finishing 7th with Lukaku we’ll probably get 10th with Mandzukic.

Just look at the squad on paper. The defence is decent but the midfield and attack is as average as it gets, it would take a fecking miracle to come 4th with our current squad.

As in my above post, the forward options are pathetic for a top four side. Jesse Lingard and co won't get you top four. Neither will heaping so much pressure on kids/rookies and expecting them to have a great season. If Anthony Martial gets injured we are basically screwed.

 

[Shakesy]

There is a definite possibility that we'll finish in the Top 4. It's all about confidence, maintaining good runs and avoiding slumps. It would just have been more likely had we at least signed a CDM.

Anyway, I'm optimistic.

 

[Lynty]

I think we'll get top4

And if we don't, oh well, we aren't a top4 team anymore. This project is longterm and our activity in the transfer market reflects that.